


powerful

by VulpesUrsae



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Jock Adora (She-Ra), Past Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Superpowers, Trans Glimmer (She-Ra), a beautiful messy mix of soulmates and superpowers, adora is a fuckboy but an honest one, every chapter is a song lyric, have fun w this one folks its ANGSTY, tagging things takes forever
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2020-06-29 05:40:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19823689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VulpesUrsae/pseuds/VulpesUrsae
Summary: and maybe the way she touches you shouldn't make you feel so powerful when it's fleeting, a ghost of a promise you both know to be already broken, but you won't stop, knowing the floor's breaking under you. knowing the foundation's cracked. she makes you feel powerful, and that's addicting, in and of itself.





	1. glimmer: when you touch me, it's so powerful

**Author's Note:**

> there's an energy  
> when you hold me, when you touch me  
> it's so powerful  
> i can feel it  
> when you hold me, when you touch me  
> it's so powerful 
> 
> major lazer -- powerful ft. ellie goulding and tarrus riley

_You stare at the notebook, its blank pages taunting you as you try to figure out where to start. You have just about twenty notebooks with random entries laying around your room in various spots, but you just had to have this one. It called to you, with its cute German Shepherd puppy cover and the bright blue ribbon for a bookmark. In truth you have no idea what to put it in this one. Your feelings have been absolutely all over the place this year. You lost your v-card, went to your first party, snuck out to said party... and you got your powers. Everyone knows the story of the sun and the moon, lovers separated by their duty and the expanse of the sky. Everyone knows the story of Romeo and Juliet, two soulmates separated by family ties, destined to die together._

_You grew up on fairy tales where Prince Charming learns how to fly the first time he kisses Cinderella, and she is given foresight to guide their path into the sunset. That one is sweet, but it's Disney, so that's to be expected. The rest are tragic, and you're sick of tragic love stories. But it's not like yours is going any better. Your soulmate doesn't even want to be your soulmate. Go figure. Useless powers and a soulmate who doesn't even want you._

_Suddenly, inspiration. You could write about her and how crazy things have gotten with her. How fucking head over heels you are for this big, stupid, dumb, asshole jock who breaks your heart but just can't seem to leave you alone. You tap the pen against the first page and begin to write._

_You already knew her name. You knew her just like everyone knew her name, Adora, Adora, Adora, they screamed at every sporting event, because she was the star player. Valedictorian, 4.2 GPA, sports goddess and you wanted to laugh because you said her name too. When she cornered you during the office worker period you shared and stole your breath with a kiss, you said her name, it crawled up your throat and made you grip her tighter, the don't stops and fucks and breathy pleading spilling out all the same. Adora..._

You'll be the first to admit that math is far from your thing. It's so far from being your thing that you're positive some of the teachers in previous years of public school education passed you out of pity, and because you asked them how their day was going every other day. This year was no different. You were barely keeping your nose above water in pre-cal. You didn't know what it was about the formulas and numbers in this class, but it was almost like another language to you, and going to tutorials was the only thing that kept your grades good enough to keep from failing.

Mr. Sky, your teacher, was a bit worried about it, especially because it seemed like you were giving the shit your all, and you swear you were. You don't study, it's not your thing, but you had to to get by. With finals coming up on the horizon and you bombing nearly every test you'd taken, Mr. Sky called in the calvary, the calvary coming in the form of a certain blonde athlete.

Another session of tutorials after school rolls around and you took your usual seat. You were pretty used to the procession of this: you came in, did any work you needed to make up and asked for help as needed, and left when it was time to go. Everyone left each other alone for the most part, unless you'd come with friends. You sat by yourself today, because Bow was absent. He usually came with you to everything as your partner in crime, your brother from another mother (or father because he has two), your best friend and ride or die, but alas, sickness had assaulted your best buddy, and he was currently at home trying to keep food down. So the last thing you were expecting was someone to come and sit next to you. You looked up from digging in your bag for that day's assignment into the bluest eyes you'd ever seen.

"Hey, I'm your student tutor for today. My name's Adora," the girl greeted you eagerly, and held out a hand for you to shake. You were stuck processing the encounter for a moment, because Adora frickin' Ramos was tutoring you in your worst subject. That was a miracle straight from some deity. Speaking of deities, silently you thanked the First Ones, because there was no way you'd bomb the final if the frickin' valedictorian was showing you how to do things.

You processed the encounter and took her hand. For a moment it was just two strangers shaking hands to be polite, but then electricity ran up your arm like you touched a livewire and it burned its way straight to your heart, which kicked into overdrive. Adora's eyes widen in surprise, which lead you to think the exact same sensation happened to her. You met her eyes, colored a shade darker in confusion. The same question hovered over both of you: 'what the fuck just happened?'

You pulled your hand away from hers, and the electricity faded away, leaving you almost aching for it to come back. It felt weird to let go after feeling so... so connected. You shook off the feeling, filing the event away in your consciousness for later fretting over, and went back to pulling out that day's assignment from your super cluttered bag (you really really needed to clean it out; you would've probably dropped like twenty pounds of weight). Finally locating the elusive paper, you put it down on the desk and sighed. "Wh... Whatever just happened... let's just get through this. Then we can talk. If you want." You brought your gaze back up to hers, and immediately noticed she was a bit further away. It was almost an imperceptible distance but you could tell she scooted away. 'Was... it worse for her?'

"Yeah... sounds like a plan," Adora replied, her eyebrows knitted together in concern. Shaking her head quickly to clear whatever fog there was from her mind, she took the paper from the desk and read over it, making a noise in the back of her throat. "Looks like this is standard stuff." She took out a sheet of scratch paper and began to show you in detail how to solve the first problem, leaning over the desk, her hair falling over her shoulders, parting the way for an undercut. You found yourself leaning closer.

She smelled like the earth after a storm and pine trees, you noted, before catching yourself. 'Smelling people is weird, Glimmer!' You had to remind yourself to pay attention to the process, because you were gonna have to do the next problem. You resolved to get down to business and pay some damn attention for once. "Cross multiply here..."

By the time you guys were done, you had a very good grasp of the concept, and an even better grasp of the finer workings of staring at Adora Ramos, with her tanned skin and cut jawline and amazing scent. At the exit of the building, she stopped you, offering to help more if you wanted to meet up to do homework sometime or something. Before you could even consider saying no, you found yourself handing your phone over for her to put her number into, and you typing your info into hers, adding a sparkle emoji for personality.

It wasn't until you got home that it occurred to you that you might've developed the beginnings of a crush, and that you were now able to teleport.

You were seconds away from getting all settled into bed to text Bow and maybe watch some YouTubers scream at the top of their lungs at a horror game. You began your descent, ready to faceplant into the plush of your beautiful, wonderful, not school related bed... and promptly hit the island in the kitchen instead, banging your head and making your nose bleed like someone stabbed you.

"Ow, ow, fuuuuuck..." You were utterly confused (and in pain), because weren't you just about to hit the softness of your bed? Instead of comfy plush, you got marble finished island (and pain). 'Fucking ow.' You danced in place, holding your nose and cursing quietly before trying to find something to stop the homicide scene coming from your bruised cranium. Settling on a nearby dish towel, you tilted your head back and wiped up what blood you could see through the tears settling on your eyelashes.

"Okay, what the fuck..." Well, despite your momentary confusion, it was clear what had happened. You'd teleported, and you'd never done that prior to that exact moment which meant that...

The dishtowel slipped from your hand. "Shit. First Ones, you sure know how to pick em. Adora is my soulmate," you said out loud into the silence. Your mom was at work, so you were speaking to whatever lived in the walls or to the walls themselves. No telling which. It just sounded better to say out loud.

You wondered if the First Ones would reconsider. Like, maybe take the teleporting away and switch you or Adora with someone else. You knew what you were in for with Adora. Between sports and her other commitments... what time would you guys have for strengthening a bond? You paced for a moment, thinking... then it hit you like you hit your face on the marble. You already had the perfect excuse to get closer to her, to explore the bond forged by the Firsts: pre cal tutoring.

You were so excited, you ended up teleporting to the living room and startling the fur off your cat Bow Jr. (BJ for short), bloody dishtowel and pain completely forgotten. You scooped the little brunette feline up into your arms and twirled on the spot, grinning like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland and bunching up your mom's favorite rug. BJ meowed in annoyance and wiggled out of your elated grasp, sitting on his haunches and licking down the fur you'd displaced during your celebration.

Falling lightly in the couch next to BJ, you squealed, the soaring feeling in your chest needing to come out somehow. If you'd known it wouldn't mess up your voice before choir the next day, you would've gotten on your roof and screamed to the entire neighborhood that you found your soulmate. What a way to get the neighbors gossiping. Still, your squeal spread into the relative silence of your living room, and so does your whisper. "I have a soulmate...!"

In books you'd read before, this was a moment full of romanticness, or whatever the word was. The soulmates would dance, or kiss, or fight to the death, or just something! As far as realizations go, yours was anticlimactic, underwhelming, but to you it felt like the world, and someone other than you and your cat needed to know.

You stood up, and tried to teleport. You clenched your fists, crouched a tiny bit and focused on your room, the feeling of being there. With the smallest of flashes, you teleported a few feet in the direction of the stairs.

You tried again. Same result. You peered up at your room's doorstep from the bottom and tried one last time, closing your eyes to focus harder.

Opening your eyes, you found yourself at your door, and you were exhausted.

Heading inside and sitting down next to your phone, the screen darkened then from inactivity, you snatched a blank notebook from your stack of notebooks and journals and grabbed a sharpie from your desk. Tapping the cover rhythmically for a moment, you tried to figure out the perfect title to bestow on the most important notebook of your life to date. "Powers Testing" sounded too drab and boring. "Powers of the Soul" sounded too... spirity. Hmm.

"Aspects of my Powers"?

"Figuring Out my Powers"?

Shit.

You decided to text the wisest person you know, next to your mom: Bow.

Cake: bow

Cake: bow

Cake: bow

Cake: bow ik ur sick but I need ur help

Pan: mission accepted what can i do for you today my dear best friend

Cake: i found my soulmate

You were in the middle of following up with the rest of the explanation, but Bow decided to call you, which effectively ended that. You answered the call.

"WHAT?!?"

'Ow. Rest in peace eardrum.' You switched sides, holding your ear and turning down the call volume to spare your unhurt eardrum the pain of what felt like an auditory beating.

"I found my soulmate, Bow. And get this: I can fricking teleport."

You flopped back onto your pillow and sighed in happiness. Bow was jazzed. "Holy cow, Glim, that's awesome! How did it happen?"

You recount the events of the day with every thought and stray detail you can think of. "I mean, Bow, it's better than the fairytales say it is. The way it feels to connect with them..." You turned over and hugged your pillow to your chest, kicking your feet as you relived it. "It's almost painful to break it."

You could hear the stars in your best friend's eyes already through the phone. "I'm so happy for you Glim!" He coughed then, groaning a bit. "S-Sorry, this sickness is kicking my butt. Hopefully with some Nyquil I'll be back tomorrow to help you ask Adora out."

You grinned again. "Hey, what is that supposed to mean? They call me Glimmer because when I walk in the room I blind everyone with my beauty; Adora will be asking me out, if anything."

Bow laughed, his voice cracking on the reply. "They call you Glimmer because that's the name you chose," he teased, and you stuck your tongue out at him even though he couldn't see it.

"Because I was fabulous before I transitioned and I still shine like a star. I would've named myself Sparkles if I didn't think it sounded like a pet's name," you remarked, imagining yourself up on stage in a beautiful dress, singing your heart out while under a lone spotlight.

"I still think we should've called ourselves Pancake and Waffle," Bow jokes. "It's like Criss Cross, or Salt and Pepa." He broke into a wheezy rendition of Push It, which had you crying with laughter.

You wiped a tear from the corner of your eye. "O-Okay, sure, when we get rich and famous, we'll totally call our act Pancake and Waffle. Meanwhile you need to work on your singing. Your Salt and Pepa cover sounds unseasoned," you joked, collapsing into another bout of laughter.

Bow laughed too. "If everything goes right, I might never have to sing. I can just dance, or shoot a flaming arrow through an apple on your head. Speaking of..."

You cut him off. "No, whatever you're about to ask concerning my head, a bow and arrow, and a camera, nooo."

Bow had a YouTube channel where he basically used his namesake to do all sorts of cool and dangerous things. He was fairly famous online, but he always wore a mask because his dads were a bit overprotective. So did you, when you starred in his videos as the guinea pig for his "experiments".

"I just want to do the bottlecap challe--"

"Noooooooo."

"Please?"

"...fine. You owe me."

He cheered, coughing again part of the way through. "I love you, Glimmer, thank youuuu!!"

You laugh, shaking your head as you look down at your still blank notebook, waiting to be written on and full of potential. "You're welcome. Now help me think up a name for this notebook. I want to test my powers eventually and I need to keep a record of what I try."

"How about 'Soul Stuff'?" he suggests, and you mull it over for a second before nodding.

"That works. Not too flashy, short and to the point. Thanks, B."

"No problem, hun. I'm gonna go and drink some meds before I die from coughing up my lungs," he says, and you nod, telling him goodbye and ending the call. Grabbing your sharpie again, you bestow the notebook with the name Soul Stuff and hold it up above you, mind brimming with ideas.


	2. glimmer: are you scared of the thought of falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it might take us forever, but i dont mind cuz it's meant to be  
> well, are you scared of the thought of falling?  
> like raindrops in stormy weather  
> well, i can hold you close to me through it all  
> yeah, we can be alone together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rook1e -- alone together ft. chris wright, olivia herdt & khai dreams

You didn't see Adora for a few more days after your realization because you were both busy. Reviews were being passed out hand over hand to get everyone prepared for finals, and on top of studying, you still had your obligation to choir.

"--mer. Glimmer!" 

You were drawn out of thought by your classmate Perfuma, a girl with wavy blonde hair and a penchant for the spiritual side of life. She nudged you gently. "Your energy right now is really excited and all over the place, Glimmer. You gotta listen, though. Ms. Zaye is talking about the winter concert. "

"Thanks," you said a bit drily, since the daydream you were coming out of was far more interesting than the dress code and practice schedule for this year's winter concert. However, it was important, so with a bit of reluctancy, you came back to reality and sat up a little straighter. Your choir teacher liked everything in order, for everything to go smoothly and to see her students shine on stage, so the little details were very important.

"As you all know, especially my veterans of varsity choir, if you don't perform at the winter conwinter you have to take a paper exam," Ms. Zaye announced sharply, catching everyone's eyes as she looked around. "The concert is your final otherwise. All you have to do is show up, perform, and invite three people. Easy A."

This was standard stuff every year. There were two big concerts a school year with smaller public performances sprinkled in between. Your choir, unlike most, kept busy, accepting performance requests all around the state, and in the rarest of occasions, outside. 

Ms. Zaye launched into an explanation of what everyone would be wearing, and you tuned out. Same old, same old. Being in choir since freshman year, you got used to the same spiel before and after every performance, but the thrill of performing, and doing it well? Never got old. You went back to daydreaming about what you'd ask Adora when you saw her as Ms. Zaye kept talking. 'Hey, do you maybe want to come study with me?' 'Sure, Glimmer, sounds like a plan.' Then you guys would go over to your place and bond and become true soulmates. The plan was perfect, airtight. Nothing could go wrong. 

"--the concert will be next Friday, right before you take your finals. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, we're having all choir sectionals. They are mandatory if you want to perform." You blinked, suddenly aware that you now had sectionals and choir practice nearly everyday for the next two weeks.

'Shit.'

Perfuma caught your eye and leaned over, her flower crown slipping a bit with the motion. She came in with a new flower pattern everyday. It was almost impressive. "I can sense your disappointment, Glimmer. Your energy is all brown and muddy."

You didn't think she'd ever notice the negative energy behind the eyes you cut at her, because Perfuma was one of those people who was overwhelmingly positive about everything, but still, you put forth your best effort. "Thank you, Perfuma."

"You're welcome, Glimmer!" the blonde whispered sunnily, flashing a billion megawatt smile and turning her attention back to Ms. Zaye. You narrowly avoided letting a deafening groan interrupt your teacher. 

***

With your schedule drenched in choral stuff, you resigned yourself to your fate: the soulmate thing was now going to have to wait until after winter break… a near month without upping the affection between you and Adora. This was a dilemma of Class S+: World-Ending.

You slammed your head into your locker, groaning in defeat. Bow closed his locker softly next to you, the metal slam getting lost in the clamor of the crowd of people headed to their next class, or stopping at their lockers to grab things before the bell rang. It was so loud you could barely hear yourself mope. "Aw, come on, Glim. It's not that bad. Besides, you have an excuse to text her and you don't even realize it."

You looked up at him from your forehead's new home on your locker door next to all the shiny stickers and remnants of scraped off gum and posters. "What are you talking about?"

"She's tutoring you in pre cal! I know you've seen all the bad straight romance movies where the guy gets closer to the girl while they're getting tutored. We watched them together for movie night!" he replied, stuffing the spiral notebook he'd grabbed into his bag, and you immediately shook your head at the thought.

"I don't want to be all super needy and weird about it," you groaned again, picking your head up off your locker door. 

"Well, it's too late for that," Bow joked, and you cracked a smile despite yourself, pulling out your phone to check the time. 

"Bell's about to r-- hey!" He snatched the little pink device, unlocked it, scrolled through your contacts and began to type like a pro all while dodging your attempts at device retrieval with dancer's grace. You growled, cursing his five years of ballet classes. 

"'Hey Adora, it's Glimmer, the girl from pre cal tutoring,'" he repeated as he typed, twirling around a group of girls and away from you. "Send." He gave you a mischievous smile and continued the message. "'Just wanted to see if you were free tonight to study some pre cal with me.' Send~"

You made another grab at him, verging on panicking. "For fuck's sake Bow, I'm not even at the double texting stage with her yet!" 

Bow danced out of the swipe and looked at your phone's screen, wiggling his eyebrows at you. "Sorry, Glim, but if I don't do this for you, you'll never d-- oh dude, look!"

He turned the screen at you. You grabbed it like it was a lifeline, and had several heart attacks all at once. "She's… she's texting back." You looked from the screen to your best friend and had some vaguely homicidal thoughts. "Bow Harper, I'm gonna kill you."

His eyes widened in mock horror. "Oh no, she's gonna beat me to death for helping her get closer to her literal soulmate, what a terrible fate."

You advanced on him regardless of his deadly sarcasm, ready to thump his forehead til you eventually made a dent in his hard ass head, but your phone buzzed in your hand, stopping you short. You looked at the screen and immediately the world turned rosy. Suddenly, life looked like it could never go wrong again. 

Adora: Yeah, sure. Your place or mine?

The bell rang, and you were officially late, but you didn't even care. You felt like you were floating. 

"From the smile on your face, I'm assuming she said yes?"

"Yes!" you screamed, jumping around excitedly. 

"And what do we say to the amazing, awesome, cool best friend who risked his life to get you a study date that's not exactly a date?" Bow prompted teasingly. You rolled your eyes but gave him a really tight hug.

"Thank you," you whispered, and he grinned, hugging you back even tighter. 

"No biggie. All in the job description." He cut his eyes down the hall at the advancing administrators, who were looking to write piping hot detention slips for any stragglers unlucky enough to get caught after the bell. "Let's go. Don't want to miss your date because of detention."

You nodded and took off towards Economics, shooting Adora a reply with a grin so wide it was almost painful.

Glimmer ✨: mine. ill send u a address after class

***

The day passed slowly, like all days do when you have something you're eagerly waiting for. You gave Adora the address of your house, but she ended up asking you if you wanted a ride back together to save time, and you a bus ride. Of course you weren't gonna turn that opportunity down, so after the final bell rang, you met the blonde athlete at the student parking lot, and you both walked out to her car.

Adora drove the prettiest sky blue retro Mustang you'd ever seen, and you couldn't resist the urge to run your hand down the length in awe. 

Adora grinned, proud, turning to you as she fished her keys out of her letterman jacket. "She's gorgeous, right? I call her Swifty. Me and my dad built her from the bottom up. We started when I was five, and finished it right after I got my license."

You smiled at her. Cars weren't and still aren't really your area of expertise, but even so, you thought you knew what to say. "She must drive like a dream."

"Yep!" she said, patting the roof of Swifty gently. "This baby can fit a ton of stuff inside and still ride smooth." She circled around to the passenger side, taking your hand gently. The connection from before buzzed in your heart, but you weren't paying attention. Your soulmate was giving you the rundown of the car's features, talking with passion. You found it adorable. "Swifty's got a custom everything: rims, paint job, interior… I love this car," Adora sighed fondly. She unlocked the passenger side and opened the door for you to get in.

'Be still, my gay ass heart,' you thought, sliding in. "Th-Thank you," you said earnestly, smiling at Adora while trying your damndest to fight down a blush. 

"No problem," the athlete replied, going back to the driver's side and getting in, starting the car smoothly. Swifty purred, the vibrations from the engine barely reaching you. "Where I'm from, it's just good manners."

You glanced out of the window as she put the car into reverse and pulled out of the student parking lot, the obligatory "Where are you from?" slipping from your lips almost automatically. Small talk was easy, and an easy way to learn more about your tutor. 

Adora hummed, turning down her radio. 'Adora likes classic rock? Noted.' "Well, I've lived here in Bright Moon most of my life, but I was actually born in the South." She shifted lanes, heading in the general direction of your place. "I think my accent's pretty much gone, though." You listened a bit to see if it really was, but you were surprised and pleased to hear the faintest Southern twang in her rich alto.

"Nah, I think I hear it a little bit," you told her truthfully. 

She groaned lightheartedly. "I go back to visit family for a few weeks every summer, that might be why it's sticking around."

"I-It's cute," you said without thinking. 'Shit!' "Uh, I mean…" You drew a blank as to what to use as an excuse. "S-Sorry, that…"

Adora startled you by laughing. "No worries, that was cute. So we're even now." She winked and made a left, Swifty moving smoothly into the turn. 

You took a deep breath and leaned back into the seat, heart beating furiously. You were extremely nervous, but Bow had told you to be bold before you left school, and there was no way you were going to let your chances with Adora be left up to time and convenience. You were actually cutting alto/soprano sectionals to study with Adora, but it was a valid excuse. School's policy for choir and the other performing arts was the same for sports: no pass, no play. You needed the help. And besides, Adora was worth it. She was the one. You were sure of it.

You searched for another topic of conversation to eat up the next few blocks until you got to your neighborhood. "U-Um, I noticed you were listening to classic rock when we got in. Is that your favorite genre?"

Adora glanced at the radio and nodded. "Oh, yeah. Queen is actually my favorite band."

This was something you could work with. "I love Queen. I've been trying to convince Ms. Zaye to let the varsity choir do Bohemian Rhapsody since I was a freshman."

She looked at you then and recognition sparked in her eyes. "Hey, wait, now that I think about it, this wouldn't be the first time I've seen you. You sung the national anthem for one of my football games sophomore year, and won the talent show junior year." You immediately break out into a blush to rival the red on a tomato. 

"Y-Yeah, that was m-me," you stammered, embarrassed. Holy shit, comparing the two times and right then had you cringing internally. Maybe to untrained ears you sounded good, but in your own memory, both performances were full of mistakes. "My voice wasn't that developed back then…"

"You kidding? You sounded great! Me and my parents were blown away. Then you did it again at the talent show," she remarked, still sounding impressed. She adjusted the green cap on her head and glanced at you, pulling up to a light and stopping. "You're still in choir right? You guys got any shows coming up?"

You scratched your cheek nervously. "Well, yeah, we got the winter concert. If…" You didn't want to hope but… "If you want to come, you might get to see me sing a solo?" you squeaked, fighting down round two of blushing.

"Sounds like a plan. Let me know as soon as you know, kay?" Adora hummed, hitting the gas again as soon as the light turned green. You internally combusted, joy spreading through your veins like someone had injected you with a syringe bursting with it. This was way too good to be true. 

You made a mental note to practice your solo extra hard this time; now you had someone extra important watching (other than your mom and Bow).

"Uh, go straight, then take a left at the light. My house is the one on the corner," you directed Adora, pointing anxiously ahead to your neighborhood. Your surroundings had gotten familiar while you were talking. 

This was it. The big moment. You needed to lay all your cards on the table, and see where your hand got you.

Adora pulled into your driveway while you fished your keys out of your bag. You hopped out and went to unlock the house while Adora grabbed her backpack from the backseat. Once she was inside, you gestured to your foyer with a dramatic flourish. "Welcome to my house," you sang excitedly. Having your soulmate over to study with no craziness involved was something out of a movie, or maybe a bad fanfiction. Still, you weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Kicking your Chucks off near the door, you positioned them neatly by the wall and stepped onto the pristine carpet with only socks. 

Adora looked from the shoes to you. "Do I need to take mine off too?" she asked curiously. You nodded, and she crouched to begin unlacing her Converse. 

"My mom and I aren't sticklers about tradition, but she likes to keep the carpet as clean as possible," you explained, heading down the hall to the living room.

You lead Adora around, pointing out the different rooms and stuff in case she needed to find anything. Once the tour was over, you both sat at the island in the kitchen, grabbing various old assignments and pulling out the different reviews you'd been given.

You got up from your stool and moved to the fridge, stretching. Stars, the stress school and your backpack put on your body was enough to make anyone ache. 'Ugh.' Pulling open the door, you grinned as you saw a veritable smorgasbord of potential after school snacking options. "You want anything to drink? eat?" you asked, trying to be hospitable. "We got chips, cookies, granola bars, I could make you a sandwich if you want?"

"A granola bar and some water would be nice, thank you."

You got your guest her requested foodstuffs and set about making yourself a delicious bowl of chips to go with a sandwich, two cookies and a bottle of water. Coming back to the table with your feast, you slid back onto your stool and pulled the first of a growing pile of old assignments and practice worksheets towards you. 

"Okay, so while you were making your sandwich, I looked at your review. You're struggling with the unit circle stuff, right?" Adora asked, munching on the granola bar you'd brought her. You scooted over to better see the packet she was looking at. 

"Yeah. Mr. Sky made it look easy to use when he was explaining it, but when I got to doing the problems by myself, I completely tanked," you explained, feeling residual despair just by looking at the circle.

"Pre cal kind of sucks if you start to fall behind. Every concept kind of builds on the one before it. Here," Adora dug in her bag and handed you a beat up looking notebook. Flipping it open, you saw line upon line of super detailed notes on the subject you were struggling so badly with. "I took Sky this past summer for extra credits. You can use my notes to study."

You flipped through the pages looking for the notes on unit circles, grabbing a chip and popping it into your mouth. "Man, you were super thorough. You must've gotten straight A's."

"Actually, the honor roll thing is pretty recent. I had terrible grades in middle school," she said, flashing you a movie star smile. Your heart thumped. "I promised my old coach I'd never get benched because of grades once I got to high school, so here we are."

You mulled that over for a bit, still looking for the notes. "How long have you been playing sports?"

Adora leaned forward and rested her elbows on the counter, resting her head in her hand and playing with the granola bar wrapper absentmindedly. "Ever since I can remember. First memory is actually swinging at a ball on a tee and hitting my brother in the face." She chuckled for a moment, before her face fell. The athlete plastered on the same smile, albeit less real than before. 

You looked at her then. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just… bad memories." She shook her head to clear it, then looked at you. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?" You set the notebook down, turning to face the blonde. She reached over the counter to grab one of your hands. The connection thrummed to life again, the feeling washing over you. Your eyes trailed down to her hands, strong and calloused, holding your smaller one. You looked back up to see something unreadable in Adora's eyes, the blue bright and earnest in searching your lavender.

"You feel it too, right?"

You nodded. "Honestly? It's been on my mind since we met." You played with the frays on your jeans, tugging and pulling and wrapping your fingers with the little threads. "Look, I think… I think we…" 

'Be bold,' you told yourself, clenching your free hand into a fist. You pushed yourself to finish. "We need to get to know each other more, Adora. T-To explore this weird connection between us."

Adora sat back a bit, eyebrows furrowed as she looked at you. "You don't think we're… soulmates, do you?" she asked, searching your eyes again. "I mean, when we touched that first time, I felt the connection, but…" She dropped her gaze to the countertop. "I haven't got my powers. So we can't be."

Your heart dropped into your stomach. Honestly, you'd only heard of this happening on a few occasions. It's extremely rare for it to happen, but sometimes people were born with a soulmate, but that soulmate has a different matching soulmate. It was a cruel fate, knowing that the person that was perfect for you in every way was the same for someone else. You hoped the First Ones hadn't been so terrible to you. "I… I got my powers that same day, Adora. Th-Th-There's no one else it could be!" you stammered, disbelief swirling through you like a storm. 

Adora noticed your rising panic and put her hand on your shoulders to calm you down, the connection growing stronger for an instant as her soul soothed yours. "Hey, look, breathe. For now, let's get to know each other. We can figure this out as we go. If we are soulmates, cool. If not, no big deal."

You couldn't swallow the question fast enough. "And if you're my soulmate but…" You trailed off, knowing the conclusion would've already crossed her mind. 

"We'll figure it out."


	3. glimmer: i tripped and fell into a rhythm with you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayokay -- the shine ft. chelsea cutler

_You tap your trusty pen rapidly on the page, half covered in your heartache, and you think back. You think back to the thrill of getting to know her. You grasp that feeling and hold it in your chest desperately, then you click your pen again, and begin to write._

***

i tripped and fell into a rhythm with you  
i jumped off the deep end but still played it cool

***  
You were in the midst of figuring out your solo for the concert when Adora texted you. Ms. Zaye had wanted something modern but still appropriate for a concert. Scrolling through YouTube for ideas, you were startled when your maybe-soulmate's contact buzzed onscreen.

"Hey, Glimmer," she greeted you. You put the phone on speaker and set it down on your bed, flopping down next to it.

"Hey. What's up?"

Adora sounded a bit awkward over the phone, which was weird considering you guys had been talking for a few days. You supposed she was more confident face to face, which was the exact opposite of your skillset. "Was, um, wondering if you were busy. I'm going geocaching today and I figured it'd be more fun with you along." 

'Oh.' That was why. 

You sat up, curiosity coloring your voice. "What's geocaching?"

"Oh, basically people leave little containers or caches of stuff at coordinates in random out of sight places, and you take something out of the caches you're able to find and put something inside in exchange," she explained, rustling coming through her end of the phone. You heard a car door slam outside, and one slam over the phone. "I'm headed to the store to pick up some stuff to put in the caches we find. Do you wanna tag along with me?"

You were already slipping on a pair of boots and a hoodie. "Yep. How much time do I have to get ready?"

"Well, I'm already outside your house, so…" she trailed off, and you couldn't help but laugh. No wonder.

"Oh my gosh, what if I was busy, you dork?" you laughed, picking up your phone and transferring it over to your dresser as you reapplied deodorant and some perfume, looking in the mirror to make sure you looked perfect for what could kind of maybe be considered a date? You didn't know. You could probably get away with calling it one. Maybe.

"No big deal, I just would've pulled out of your driveway like a ghost," she answered confidently, making ghost noises for emphasis. "Booo~!"

"Absolutely terrifying. I'm quaking in my boots here," you replied. It was a terrible joke, but regardless, it got a chuckle out of you. Maybe your humor was evolving to incorporate all of her terrible jokes. You snatched your keys and cell off the dresser, rolling your eyes as you grabbed your backpack from the hook on your door, emptying its contents haphazardly onto the floor. "Shush, nerd. I'll be outside in a sec, just lemme lock up the house." You hung up and stuffed some very vital things inside the then much lighter bag: some money, your cell and keys, extra jacket, and perfume. 'Gotta smell good at all times,' you thought, zipping it up before rushing out.

You and Adora had gotten pretty familiar over the past few days, by texting and being on the phone. The late nights spent talking with each other left you exhausted (your maybe soulmate seemingly had a bottomless pit of energy to go about her day with little sleep. You totally weren't jealous), but it was all worth it in your eyes. Now with the weekend rolling around and neither of you busy with school stuff, it was the perfect time to spend some time with each other.

Adora hadn't mentioned geocaching before in your conversations, but she had talked about being outdoorsy, being into hiking and mountain climbing (the mountain climbing being more of something she planned to do in the future, as there were no mountains within a hundred miles to actually climb). She honestly looked the type. You found yourself wondering if she was as strong as she looked. Hopefully those guns weren't just for show.

Your maybe soulmate was leaning on her car when you came outside, looking as if she came fresh out of a modeling shoot for some seasonal brand. She smiled at the sight of you, taking you in as her eyes roamed over every inch of you. You felt both flattered and underdressed, a blush quickly fighting back the cold on your cheeks. 

Suddenly black Doc Martens and a purple hoodie paired with your favorite shirt and ripped tights didn't seem that great, because across from you was Adora, and even if soulmates didn't exist, you thought your heart would still skip a beat at the sight of her.

You remember her wearing a light brown sweater and a yellow scarf, dressed for the weather because around that time it had started getting colder than the ninth circle of hell and she had some common sense unlike half the people who came to school wearing shorts and tank tops (Bow is this type of person. 'The cold doesn't bother me," he says. Okay, sure, Elsa).Her signature green cap was even gone, replaced a beanie of the same color.

"All set?" she asked, rising up off of the car. You nodded, having double checked your bag for stuff you needed right before locking up. Adora pulled the passenger door open for you to get in. "Off we go, princess."

The nickname sent a powerful thrill down your spine. You knew it probably was just one of her jokes, but you couldn't help the reaction it induced in you. Your cheeks warmed further as you slid past her into Swifty, goosebumps rising on your arms as your soul swirled in delight.

Adora closed the door and got in the driver's seat, her hand grazing your neck as she turned to look out of the back window, bracing her hand on the back of your seat. The connection sparked again, and your souls connected for a brief second. The connection was getting stronger every moment you touched, and for a moment you could feel her, like you were one, and it left you breathless.

Adora's soul wrapped around yours, exploring, and you felt her curiosity at your reaction to the nickname. She probed a bit, and curiosity was replaced with realization, then overwhelming satisfaction.

You probably could've warmed the city up yourself right then with how hot your face was. That blonde was gonna be the death of you. She'd read your soul. Of course you had no idea that's what had happened, but you'd felt it. Adora moved her hand onto the middle compartment and backed out of your driveway, heading down the street without a word. You rubbed your neck, the connection gone again and leaving a more obvious absence than before.

It wasn't until you were on one of the main roads that she spoke, smugness coloring her voice. "So you like the nickname princess?"

Firsts, you wanted to die. The embarrassment was already about to stop your heart. You decided to tackle the teasing head on. "Yeah, sure. I-it's nice…" you stammered, and then you internally facepalmed because 'dammit, voice, don't go all submissive and gay now!'

"Then I'll call you princess from now on," Adora said, glancing at you with a storm in her eyes and a smirk on her face.

'Oh, Firsts.' You whined quietly and resigned yourself to your fate. Your maybe soulmate couldn't quite hold back a laugh. Sounded evil to you. Maybe you were just biased.

***

"Okay, so we're basically gonna be grabbing little wrapped up candies, granola bars, little trinkets, stuff like that," Adora explained, holding a little Walgreens basket in one hand. You looked around the store for the right aisles, tucking your hands in your hoodie. "Our budget is twenty bucks? Sound like a plan?"

You nodded, spotting the candy aisle. You skipped over to the first bag of assorted hard candy you found and brought it over, dropping it in the basket smoothly. "Candy, check," you stated with a grin, suddenly feeling more into the whole geocaching thing. "Think I saw the granola bars back there too, which seems like a weird display combination." 

"Why?" she asked, beginning to head towards the same aisle.

You grinned. "Well, candy is unhealthy. Granola bars are healthy. It's like a retail guilt trip." You cut eyes at the cashiers ringing up stuff for other customers. "You want to buy candy, but you see the granola bars and you're like, 'damn, I should be buying the frickin' granola bars instead.'"

Adora snickered, rolling her eyes. "It's a conspiracy to get people to eat healthy; what a travesty!" 

You nudged her with your elbow. "Everything is a conspiracy if you think about it." Being goofy with her felt right, so you rolled with the first thing that came to mind. "Did you know everything is a sock?"

The athlete busted out laughing in confusion, looking down at you. "Pfft, holy shit, Glimmer, what?"

You were on a roll and that laugh was, without a damn doubt the most beautiful thing you'd ever heard (and you frickin' caused it!!!!!), so you strolled ahead, turning to face her and walking backwards as you explained just how scientists had proven that everything was, in fact, a sock. "It's scientifically proven!" you exclaimed, sticking a finger up in the air to emphasize the sciencey aspect of your point. "Okay, a sock is something that can hold something, is it not?"

She nodded in amusement, stopping at the granola bars and pulling a box down to put in the basket. "Yeah…"

"It totally doesn't matter what goes in a sock, it still holds stuff, right?" you continued. You were gonna see how far you could take it, bullshitting to get her to laugh again. 

"Uh huh…"

"So you could say that everything that holds something is a sock! A body is a sock for a skeleton," you explained. Picking up a box of wafers, you shook it softly. "This box is a sock for wafers." You lifted up your foot, balancing ungracefully on one leg. "Y-Your-- whoa! whoops, almost fell --my shoe is a sock for my sock! Sockception!"

Adora was just about crying with laughter right then, leaning on the shelf, her shoulders shaking with mirth as she processed your dumbassery. "O-Okay… s-sure," she chuckled, holding her stomach. You couldn't stop smiling. Her laugh gave you the "warm and fuzzies". Honestly, you would've paid your entire life savings to keep it in your heart, because it added ten years to your life with every second you heard it.

She straightened up after a minute, wiping the beginnings of tears out of her eyes. "Man, I haven't laughed that hard in a while. I want whatever you're drinking, princess."

You tucked your hands back in your hoodie and turned around, calling over your shoulder. "It's a big ass bottle of dumbass juice; we can totally sha--" Not paying attention had you running into a big burly dude with a bunch of stuff in his arms. Buff guy dropped everything onto the floor, and you immediately got down to help pick it up. "Crap, I'm sorry; here, let me…"

The guy pushed you out of the way, in the shittiest mood ever, picking up his armfuls of random stuff. "Watch where you're going, idiot." 

The jovial mood of earlier was crushed under the weight of the guy's assholishness (if that's even a word). You stood up, brushing your hands off. "Who crapped in your coffee?" you muttered, heading back to Adora. "What an asshole."

You stopped short, noticing her death stare. For a split second you thought it was aimed at you, but when the guy left the other way with all his stuff, her eyes followed. 

"Adora. You okay?"

She looked your way and her eyes softened a bit. "That was rude of him. Are you okay?"

You nodded, taking her free hand in the both of yours. Your soul curled around hers, unconsciously trying to calm her down, and you brushed your thumb over her knuckles. Seeing her in distress made you deeply uncomfortable for reasons you didn't understand. "I'm fine. A bit dusty, since apparently the floors of this place haven't been mopped in years, but perfectly okay." Adora seemed to deflate a bit, giving you a long look while flooding the connection with an emotion you couldn't put a name to. You held her gaze, waiting.

"Okay, we should go check out," she said after a moment, turning away with her frown less pronounced. You went to pull your hand away, but she held it tighter. You gave her a questioning look as she brought the stuff up to the front counter, you in tow. When she didn't answer, you became a bit worried. Did the guy ruin the outing? 

You didn't know what it was, but as soon as you got to Swifty, Adora softened further, and she pulled you into a hug, all firm and there, and suddenly this was so much more real. You could feel her. You could feel the lingering anger of wanting to protect you. And though it made you feel warm and contented as she rested her chin on top of your head, arms wrapped around you as she processed the flood of emotions having a soul connection caused, you couldn't shake the way her soul read terror and apprehension. 

***

_You wish you'd known._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, tavi here. i don't like to leave notes on my stories but i do wanna keep y'all updated. i probably won't have internet for a few weeks. i say a few weeks because i don't want to say a shorter time and then leave you guys hanging. so i guess this is a small hiatus? when i do have some more internet, i'll definitely post more than one to make up for lack of content. 
> 
> no worries, our favorite jock and choir kid will definitely be back; i just need to get a steadier source of wifi lmao


	4. glimmer: your fairy tales and fever dreams can set me free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> remember  
> together  
> remember? everything felt so new  
> everyday im so blue whenever i think of you  
> together we could be so much more  
> you're waiting outside my door?  
> well what are we waiting for  
> the sun will rise at night  
> burn so bright  
> take me to another world where your fairy tales and fever dreams can set me free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fever dreams, diveo ft. taylor fernandez

maybe soulmate???: Glimmer, you up?

glimmer ✨: im gay of course im up

glimmer ✨: whats up

maybe soulmate???: Can't sleep. Felt like talking to someone.

maybe soulmate???: Someone being you. 

glimmer ✨: aww thats sweet shskshs

maybe soulmate???: Did you mean to send that? The "shskshs"?

glimmer ✨: the keysmashing?? yea. its me showin excitement. do ur friends not keysmash???

maybe soulmate???: No. Should they?

glimmer ✨: lmao ill educate u in person. urban dictionary is ur friend here tho

maybe soulmate???: Sure, princess. Did you ever get the date for your concert?

glimmer ✨: yea. its next week on friday. i finally picked out a song too

princess ✨: ms zaye wanted something kinda modern so imma sing all i want for christmas is u

maybe soulmate???: By Mariah Carey? Nice choice. And festive. Have you already been practicing?

princess ✨: oh yea. the song is pretty easy for my vocal range but im definitely gonna come away w my voice either aching or gone 

princess ✨: im singing at least one song w nearly every group performing that night

princess ✨: i hope everyone will like it

maybe soulmate???: They will. I haven't heard you sing since junior year but I'm sure you've only gotten better. As for your concert, I'll be there. I want to hear you sing again.

princess ✨: oh god pls my heart can only uwu so much 

maybe soulmate???: Wouldn't want you to "uwu" too much then? Is that a bad thing? 

princess ✨: pfft no

princess ✨: it's good dude

princess ✨: u must not be v up to date on internet culture 

maybe soulmate???: You might be right. I don't have a Facebook or Instagram or anything like that. Honestly the only reason I remember my phone in the mornings is because I check on my mom periodically throughout the day.

princess ✨: aww thats sweet!! shouldnt it be the other way around tho?

princess ✨: like she checks in on u?

maybe soulmate???: It's not something I want to talk about just yet. 

princess ✨: everything ok??

maybe soulmate???: Yeah. Just… I'll tell you about it next time I see you. 

princess ✨: thatll be this weekend hopefully

princess ✨: i have sectionals nearly everyday til the concert 

princess ✨: this weekend im gonna destress at my aunts ranch in mystacor

maybe soulmate???: Oh, cool, your aunt has a ranch? Does she have horses?

princess ✨: yea shes got a few. my fav is this really pretty white stallion she just got

princess ✨: hes a handful but hes fast as frick

princess ✨: hold on i think i got a pic of him

princess ✨: [Image: 2.2 mb]

maybe soulmate???: Firsts, he's gorgeous. What's his name?

princess ✨: i dont think he has one yet

princess ✨: hey do u wanna come w me? to the ranch?

maybe soulmate???: Yes! What time should I come over?

princess ✨: maybe like 7 or so on friday after school idk but ill call u soon as mom tells me a time uwu

maybe soulmate???: Sounds like a plan.

***

"Okay, so I have to be honest, I've never ridden a horse before." Adora Ramos was beside herself with excitement. On the other hand, you, Glimmer Samuels, were having several gay panic attacks at her utter elation. You never thought horses could get someone so hyped up, and especially not your aunt's, but frick if you weren't reaping the benefits. Who knew they were her favorite animals? Score one for stupid, dumb luck.

You looked out of the open window, tearing your eyes away from stealing glances (more like adoring gazes) at the giddy, beautiful, buff 19-year-old in the backseat of your aunt's 20-something Ford pickup truck. Miles and miles of fields and farmland were blurring by in an amalgamation of colors, and you felt like wings could grow out of your back, catching the breeze and lifting you up into the darkening expanse. You took a deep breath, the wind burning your nose faintly, closing your eyes in order to really feel the wind whip through the pinks and purples of your locks.

It felt good on your scalp, but you pulled your head away to look at your aunt Castaspella, who was talking with Adora, a contented look on her face as she drove along the country road. "--time riding a bucking bronco!" she joked, making your soulmate laugh. 

You couldn't help but feel fond of them both, even though Aunt Casta had definitely just told one of her embarrassing stories. Adora sat up from laughing and scooted up to the edge of the backseat to lean over the middle compartment. "Glimmer, how come you didn't tell me you used to try to ride your old cat?"

You pouted, crossing your arms as your cheeks warmed up. "I was a runt of a crotch goblin, and Dr. Bologna looked big to me," you explained, sticking your tongue out when she began laughing again.

"That's the quirkiest pet name I've heard in a while. 'Dr. Bologna'?"

Aunt Casta smiled at you, and you braced for part 2 of "embarrassing aunt". "Dr. B was a tuxedo cat-- you know, the ones whose fur makes them look like they're wearing suits --and when she wandered into Glim's care, she liked bologna a lot," she explained, chortling with auntly pride and adoration for you, and you sunk down into your seat a bit, bracing further. The onslaught wasn't over yet. "Glimmy loved that furball. She tried to take baths with Dr. B, give her her dinner, even dress her up in her clothes."

You covered your face with your hands, groaning from the depths of your being. "Aunt Casta, please, nooooo…"

The traitor, she went on gabbing like you never said a word. Death was looking like an excellent alternative to sticking around for the rest of this conversation. "So one day, Glim watches some cartoon and decides that Bologna is big enough to ride. 25 pounds of toddler on a cat is a recipe for disaster. Dr. Bologna was not pleased," she chortled, talking away and spilling all your childhood tea. 

"I can't believe you've done this." You wanted to sink into the seat and die.

"Oh, Glimmer, love, you never bring anyone out to the ranch to see me! And Adora's such a darling, let me have my fun!" She patted your knee, smiling brightly at you. You sighed. You knew entirely too many people with bright ass smiles. It was a wonder you hadn't gone blind yet. "Besides, it's all out of love!"

"Yeah, love you too," you muttered, cheeks blazing. You totally meant it, though. She was a blabbermouth, but she was your blabbermouth. 

You began to scroll through Instagram, yawning softly, fatigue rolling your back and shoulders. The sun was slipping beyond the horizon as storm clouds rolled in and you were getting tired. As fun as road trips were, sitting in vehicles for a long time made you stir crazy, and reliving embarrassing self-crotch goblin moments wasn't helping.

"So, you guys ready for a fun-filled weekend at Casa del Spella?" your aunt asked jovially. Adora gave a small shout, poking her head out of the window to look at Mystacor in all its small-town, country glory. You cringed internally at the very much overused joke. If you had a dollar...

You all drove out past the town limits as the sun disappeared and the moon and stars took its place in the cosmos. Adora kept her head out, taking everything in. "It's beautiful out here," she said with wonder. "All these stars…"

Aunt Casta hummed in agreement. "Oh, absolutely. I used to be a fashion designer. I loved putting together looks and dressing people up, but the stresses of the job took their toll on me." She tapped the steering wheel. "Eventually I just up and moved out here. When Dad passed, he left his house to me and Glimmer's dad, so I ended up moving in. Never looked back."

Huh. That was new info. You looked over at your aunt. "Do you still design stuff, auntie?"

"Oh, yeah. I do commissions when I have time and I'm not tending the animals." Aunt Casta grinned mischievously at you. "Why? Do you want your Christmas sweater early?"

"Oh, Firsts, please, no."

***

"We're here," Casta announced, turning into an open gate with the words "Samuels Family Ranch" emblazoned over the top.

"Smells like rain," she noted, and you looked up from a cat video to a raindrop hitting your nose. The heavens opened to let down a torrent of rain, and you hurriedly rolled up your window, then reached down to pull your hoodie out of your bag. 

'Shit, shit, shit, shit, just my luck….'

You pulled your dog hoodie over your head, closing your eyes and wrapping your arms around yourself, hoping against hope that it wasn't a th--

BOOM.

You jumped hard. You couldn't help it. Thunderstorms are the bane of your existence, like spiders (or any bug honestly), scary movies (why on Earth would you pay to be scared???) and cauliflower (...ugh).

Luckily for you, Casta and Adora also jumped, because it was loud and sudden, and sudden, loud things make people jump. Good for you. Now you just had to get in the house without losing your shit. 

Your aunt pulled up the driveway quickly as the rain picked up even more, windshield wipers going furiously to bat away the cascade of water. In the low visibility, you could just make out the outline of the home you'd spent many a holiday and summer goofing off in, and you felt a bit of relief. Your bed awaited you, and you could hide from the stupid loud thunder under the guise of being tired (which you totally were, so it wasn't exactly a lie).

You got out of the truck and--

***

_Fuck. You want to write about how Adora comforted you during a storm at your aunt's house, and how you nearly kissed as she was wiping the tear streaks from your cheeks; you want to write about inviting her as your plus one to Frosta's birthday party, and how you nearly kissed there too. You want to smile and laugh because Adora was such a sweetheart and just… so good. You want to write about the good stuff, but the bad stuff is weighing on your heart, and your gut feels cold and empty when you think about it._

_You push the notebook away, curling in on yourself as you cry again. Why are you crying again? You hate yourself for crying over someone who doesn't want you, who wouldn't cry for you. But no one ever told you having a soulmate was gonna hurt you so deeply. You grew up on tragedy. Was this supposed to be just another one?_

_You wonder if she ever really loved you. You've spent hours thinking on it. It's frustrating, to flounder over a question that should have the simplest of answers._

_You suppose that's why you're getting everything down in the notebook. It's important, right? 'Right?'_

_You don't feel like writing about the nice stuff anymore. You might write about it more later, but right now, right this moment, you're hurt. You're burning with anger and sorrow and pain and you just want to get it all out of you because you're fucking tired._

_Time to try again._

***  
You can remember a few times where you almost kissed Adora, but got interrupted. The first was right after the storm, and you and Adora were cuddled under a blanket, and you turned to look at her, souls wrapped around each other. Her eyes were a deeper blue than you'd ever seen them, and the both of you leaned in… only to be interrupted by Aunt Casta bringing offering of her homemade turtle pie ("award winning!!!", as she never neglected to mention).

The second time was Frosta's birthday party. You were sweaty and breathless from a crazy game of laser tag, and you had scarfed down the hottest piece of pizza you could find, feeling particularly ravenous after your rousing victory against your soulmate (you might've seduced her a bit, but a win is a win). Adora wiped a streak of pizza sauce off the corner of your mouth, and you both leaned in again… only to be interrupted by a mob of children screaming for sustenance.

You both couldn't stop laughing. 

The third time was when you snuck out to a party Catra was throwing. 

You were reading on your phone with your window open, the cool night breeze drifting in through it, when a pebble suddenly sailed through and hit you right in the cheek. Puzzled and a bit annoyed, you went to your window and poked your head out to see Adora grinning up at you. She invited you to a party, and you actually snuck out for the very first time, sliding down the tiles of the roof outside tour window and landing next to Adora, surprising even yourself with your boldness.

You guys had cut loose at the party, dancing and drinking (lightly). It had gotten stuffy in the house really quickly from all the bodies having clothed sex on the dancefloor, so you two had escaped outside to get some fresh air. 

You turned to look at Adora in the moonlight, and suddenly your lips were brushing, and you were so close to deepening it, to getting closer, your souls connected more strongly than ever before… and then Scorpia interrupted. She was looking for Catra, who had left the fuckin party, and you were so exasperated by getting interrupted over and over that you fisted your soulmate's jacket and pulled her in for a deep kiss, surprising yourself again with your boldness.

You remember Adora tasting like coke and liquor, her arms wrapped around you and her lips soft and just a touch chapped from the cold wind blowing through the yard, and it's one of your fondest memories ever. But all good things must come to an end, and when you back someone into a corner, their true colors show.

***

It was concert night, and the auditorium was nearly full to capacity. You were a ball of nerves and excitement, chattering excitedly to Bow about Adora, Youtube stuff, anything to get you to relax about performing. You were always like this before a show though, flitting about and gabbing like a fairy on speed. Bow was also performing that night, so he was all dressed up and doing stretches as you talked.

"Is Adora coming?" he asked, cutting you off in amusement.

"She promised she was. Said she would as soon as she realized I was junior year's most talented," you said, straightening your dress and adjusting the straps. You knew it was fine, but everything had to be perfect, more than ever because Adora had promised to come.

She was coming. You were more sure of it than that time you were ice skating and you were sure you were gonna bust your ass. And bust your ass you did.

The show started, and you took your place in the soprano section, voice primed and ready. You were so excited, and you tried to keep your eyes on Ms. Zaye so she could cue you in but your eyes kept roaming the crowd… You caught the eyes of your mom, who was holding up her phone to record the whole thing, like usual. Mom gave you an excited smile, mirroring your own, almost. You had a different excited. Ecstatic, you'd call it.

Still no Adora though. You hoped she was running late. 

***  
The show chugged on and soon you looked out over the crowd, the instrumental starting for your song and you hoped, prayed, she would be there.

“I don’t want a lot for Christmas…”

You hoped that you would see the sky blue of her eyes darkened by the dimmed lights staring into yours, because if you were being honest, this song was for her.

“There is just one thing I need…”

Sure all these people had come for a concert and to hear festive music, but Adora had come for you despite only knowing you for a few weeks. She promised. 

“I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree…”

She promised. 

“I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know…”

Your eyes feverishly raked over every inch of the crowd, searching in vain. As you took in another breath, you resigned yourself to the fact that she might not show up. Maybe you got stood up. Maybe something came up. 

“Make my wish come true…”

Adora, you promised…

‘All I want for Christmas is you…”

The show had to go on, and so did you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i totally plan to give you guys the cute fluff scenes soon, but you can blame the angst on season three. 
> 
> as for my absence, blame college. i started as a first year and there went all my free time.


	5. glimmer: i want to be fluent in your love language, part one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all foreign to me  
> I dont speak what you speak  
> I'll commit to learning  
> If you, if you do  
> You're a sweet fantasy  
> Singing your ABC's  
> Please be patient with me  
> With you  
> And I want to be fluent in your love language

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love language -- kehlani

_It hurt. Because of course it did. That's what Adora does. She means well enough but she breaks your heart and you want to shut off the ache in your chest but it's gonna take some time._

_You set your notebook down and get up from your bed, pooling magic in your hands. Pink and purple sparkles float up from your palms, coating your room in bright rosy hues._

_Playing with your powers make you feel better, less weak. Dulls the sting of crying for a while. Energy flows from somewhere inside you all the way down to your fingertips and out, like feeding water through a tube. Feels good to let it free. You didn't want to show it at school, where at the first sign of powers manifesting, everyone would swarm you, asking questions and demanding to know who your soulmate is. And of course you'd love to walk around on Adora's arms and be public with the one person who has your heart. But.._.

_You throw a blast up in the air to watch the glow from it disperse, sparkles drifting back down onto you like falling snow. No wonder Catra calls you Sparkles… and Glitter. It drives you insane._

_You could just imagine grabbing her smug face and… You shoot off a blast of your powers, which hits the wall and leaves faint scorch marks._

_'Oh. Oh shit.' You look down at your hands, alarmed. Guess these sparkles are a bit more formidable than you thought, huh?_

***

"Glimmer!"

You pulled out an earbud blaring Dance Gavin Dance and turned to see Adora holding a bouquet of roses while panting. She hunched over on her knees, then held the bouquet up to you. "Sorry… I missed… the show…" she apologized in between breaths.

You couldn't help but crack a smile while taking the bouquet, the plastic around them crinkling loudly in the emptiness of the hallway. The roses themselves were bright and alive, and they smelled so good. The disappointment of her broken promise faded from your heart, replaced with the steady beat of love and affection. "You okay, Ms. Sports Star?" you giggled, offering her a bottle of water from your locker. 

Adora laughed and stood up straight, having caught her breath. "For someone so short, you move ridiculously quickly in a crowd." She moved to lean on the lockers, pushing a stray hair out of her face. "You'd be good on the football team, princesa." 

Your face flushed at the now-familiar nickname. "Oh no, keep your contact sport, I want no parts." You stuffed the last book you didn't need into your locker and closed it quickly before anything could fall out. One day you'd organize the various papers and books in there, but it wouldn't be today.

"Football is fun! But besides, I wanted to ask you something!" You shoot her a curious glance before beginning to walk towards the exit at the end of the hall, freedom from school hallways only a few paces away. 

"Shoot."

Adora moved in front of you and grabbed your hands, stopping you short while gazing intensely into your eyes. "I really wanted to make it your show. I don't like breaking promises, but something came up that day and I had to take a rain check. I want to make it up to you, though, if you'll let me," she said earnestly, searching your eyes. 

You were maybe a bit speechless. Maybe also internally screaming. How much more of a knight could Adora be? The only things missing were armor, a noble steed, a magical sword, and Adora kissing your hand while on one knee.

...store that one in the queue for interesting daydreams later.

"You're ridiculously swoon-worthy, you know that?" you whispered, then shook your head to clear it of gay thoughts. "I don't know what you have planned, but I'll go along with it."

Adora grinned.


	6. adora: I want to be fluent in your love language, part two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and now for something completely different

_Okay… how do you start this? Bow told you to reevaluate just how you feel, right?_

_Maybe start with how everything happened._

***

Kissing Catra was NOT in your life plan. Well, Catra kissing you wasn't, to be completely and totally specific. And yes, you totally had a life plan. It was weird not to, no matter what Lonnie said. 

Play sports, pick up a few scholarships off of that, make straight A's in college, be wildly successful. You were sure that the key to success laid in making connections and working hard. No time for distractions.

Admittedly, though… that was distracting. Joking with your best friend since childhood was supposed to be. The locker room had been empty except for you two. You were 90% sure you smelled like a dumpster fire in a landfill after football practice, but that didn't stop her from grabbing your jersey and laying one on you right as you reached your locker.

Your heart stopped, because this felt… wrong. Sure half the school thought you two were gonna end up together; thought you two were soulmates, but you didn't feel that way about Catra. She was more of a sister than anything to you. Knowing someone since you were a baby would just about do that to you. You floundered internally at the thought of breaking your best friend's heart, your entire body going rigid with indecision.

Romance... was a distraction. And you couldn't afford distractions.

Catra pulled away when she noticed you'd stiffened up. "A… Adora?" she said tentatively, searching your eyes for something. For what, you didn't know. Requited feelings? The manifestation of the powers you could only get from forging a connection with the one the Firsts made for you?

It took everything in you to hold her gaze, to not run away from your words. "Catra… I'm sorry, I don't f-feel--"

You'd been friends with her long enough to see her throw walls up, block off her heart from taking any more hits than life had already thrown at her. And there had been quite a lot. She curled in on herself, hunching over almost imperceptibly and wrapped her arms around herself, laughing as she cut you off from finishing your apology. "No, dude, it's fine… I understand…" 

Firsts, the air in the room had shifted into something you didn't know how to process. How do you let someone down gently; how do you stop their heart from breaking? Your hands reached out to hold her, touch her, to give her hugs and comfort like you always did, but they stilled quickly, eventually dropping back to your side loosely. Catra started to back away out of your reach, stammering something about homework and Scorpia, and then she was gone. And you were left to try to sort things out.

The next day, you didn't see Catra. Your text went unanswered. You figured she needed space and time, and you'd grant her that. Without practice and really anybody else to hang out with after school, you decided to busy yourself by finally allowing time for that tutoring program thing you'd signed up for, in order to gain some extra credit. 

The instructor had you tutor a girl with the brightest colored hair you'd ever seen, sitting off to the side of the classroom by herself, rummaging through a bag that probably held half the Amazon rainforest in papers. Her hair sparked the stirrings of familiarity in your belly. You'd seen her before at different events that the choir did. Star soprano, but that's all you knew about her. You'd be lying if you hadn't briefly thought she was beautiful, with her smile shining brightly after a performance and her violet eyes shining lavender under a spotlight. Ultimately, she'd faded to the back of your mind. You had sports, she had choir, and that was it. 

You slid into the seat next to her and introduced yourself, flashing your trademark smile and holding out your hand. The girl's eyes flashed with recognition, and after a moment, she took your hand.

The very second she did, something like lightning flashed up your arm from where the two of you touched. Fire burned from somewhere inside you, warning you all over in waves as your eyes widened moments before hers did. Your heart began pounding, and you pulled your hand away without thinking. Whatever connection there was faded with the loss of skin contact, but your hand still tingled with the sensation and the feeling of loss. 

You felt like all your breath had been stolen from you suddenly. Holding the violet-eyed girl's gaze, you shook your head just barely. "Wh... Whatever just happened... let's just get through this. Then we can talk. If you want," you offered quietly, not wanting to make a scene or let anyone know what just happened.

You avoided the situation, because you didn't have time for anything but school. Sports, good grades, good job, nice house, success. That was the goal. Who had time for love? Who had time for a… 

***

_You don't want to admit it. But you already know._

_You roll over and bury your face in your dog's fluffy white fur, groaning and blushing at the thought of the girl who's dominated your life. 'No, no, no.' Blade's poodle tail hits your head softly, and you lift your head to raise an eyebrow at the large beast. She offers a 'whuff' in response to your heart's anguish, tail wagging furiously._

_You sit up slightly and pet her affectionately, sighing as sadness sets in. "At least you still think I'm a good person," you murmur quietly, guilt setting in the pit of your stomach like a boulder._

***

You got to know her, coming to figure out the weird sensation of being around her and staying because she's genuinely the most fun you'd had in a while. There was something about the newness of the situation, the exploration of this new person that you couldn't get enough of. Her thoughts, her perspective of random things, her smile, her laugh, it all kept you on the phone with her until the sun was beginning to make its entrance over the horizon. You found yourself spending time with her outside of school, even taking her to go geocaching. That wasn't even scraping the surface of what she was making you feel. 

Something boiled in your belly around her, the need, the urge to protect and care for her. You thought it was because she was shorter than you, but there was something more primal there, something that felt ancient. When the man in the store had verbally assaulted her, you felt rage building. The sensation still left you baffled, because you weren't easy to get mad. Still, if you were driving and you saw that dude, you might swerve a bit to scare him a bit, since hitting him was apparently illegal. 

***

 _Oh, that's right. You're not allowed to be protective of her anymore. You screwed that up._

_Bow wanted you to figure out where you went wrong._

_What about the party?_

***

princess ✨: hey nerd wanna crash a kids bday party w me

adorable 🐎: Will there be cake?

princess ✨: is it a party w out it

adorable 🐎: I'll be there.

***

So many kids. You were having the time of your life, running around with the little humans. They seemed to find your height and muscles absolutely fascinating. The kids loved you the moment you entered with the absolutely massive gift for the birthday girl that your "partner in crime" had picked out. 

"Okay, steed, to the jungle gym," the child in question ordered, brandishing a foam sword in the direction of the plastic structure, and you grinned and adjusted her position on your shoulders, saluting. 

"As you wish, Queen Frosta," you yelled enthusiastically, and the dozen friends of the 11-year-old you had swarming around your feet yelled in chorus as they blasted towards the playground of the pizza place. You jogged to keep in step with Frosta's "guards", albeit a bit more slow in order to keep the "Queen" safe. 

You kneeled once you got to the playground entrance and let the birthday girl down safely, accepting her pleased pat to your little paper party hat, then turned on your heel to head back over to your companion who was watching in amusement.

"Hello, noble steed," she teased, giving you a fond smile that warmed you to your toes. "I take it the Queen got tired of riding?"

You nodded, a bit out of breath. You'd been playing with the young partygoers for the better part of two hours since arriving. "Oh yeah," you panted softly, laughing and reaching for a water bottle. "I'd get tired of riding a horse after a while too, with nine other people hanging off of it."

"Hope Ms. Steed isn't too tired to come with me to get the pizzas," she teased, nudging you gently. 

You got up and offered her a hand. "Oh definitely not," you replied, pulling her up carefully, "Never too tired for adventure!" You couldn't resist saying it the way that guy did, the one from Youtube. You hoped she would get the reference.

To your delight, she understood instantly. "Ah, a fellow Seahawk fan!" she exclaimed, pleased. "A woman of culture." 

You both began walking to the pizza station with the ticket number, laughing about the flamboyant main character of the webseries Seahawk and his Merry Band of Musical Men. The dude sang endlessly about how it was fun to be friends with friends as he sailed the Salineas Seas in search of treasure and his one true love, the mermaid who'd saved his life. 

You both made your way up to the counter, taking Frosta's mom's money and paying for the two large pepperoni and cheese pizzas, then carrying them back to the table. "That episode kept me up for weeks," Glimmer admitted, shuddering a bit as she recalled one of the special Halloween episodes. 

"It was funny to me," you teased, chuckling as she narrowed her eyes at you playfully. 

"I'm sure it was. I bet you were this big and strong as a kid too. Monsters were probably scared of you," she remarked, gaze traveling over your biceps quickly before they refocused on the path back to the table. You tried not to think too hard about how much you liked her checking you out and the offhand compliment.

As soon as you set the food down, the younger partygoers materialized, ready to gorge themselves on pizza, cake and ice cream. You swiped four slices for the two of you and retreated to a free table off to the side to let the parents deal with the chaos of feeding small humans. 

"Ah, four slices just for me? You're too kind," Glimmer joked, reaching for the plate as soon as you set it down. 

You held it up above your head, way out of reach for the shorter girl. "Ah, ah, ah, Noble Steed needs nourishment too, princess," you said smoothly, wagging a finger in her direction. You took great pleasure in the way her face flushed then, going a wonderful shade of red you decided you loved to see. 

She pulled you down by your collar, surprising you enough to make you sit down and relinquish the plate without a struggle. "Let's eat, nerd."

Nodding, you dug into the pizza, body happily accepting the food after the earlier romping with the kids. You and Glimmer chatted and laughed about various things, talking about everything under the sun for a while, taking the opportunity to take a break from the party's antics. Lunch continued like this until the pizza was gone. 

"Oh, A-Adora, hold up, you got something…" Glimmer surprised you by leaning in with her thumb and brushing some stray pizza sauce off the side of your mouth. Something in the air shifted as she paused, a few inches from you, her eyes trained on your lips. The lavender of her eyes darkened just slightly, and her brows and lips came together in a frustrated pout. You felt a train hit you in the gut, carrying with it a ton of urges to the kiss the shorter girl right there, right then. You caught her eyes, then looked at her little pout, her tongue darting out quickly to wet them a bit, and you swallowed dryly, leaning in ever so slightly…

You were tugged back with the force of a thousand men. Or, at least, with the force of thirteen children who wanted attention. "Adora!! It's time for cake. You too, Glimmer!!" one of them, probably Frosta, screamed. You probably would've been able to tell if the kids hadn't pulled you onto the floor. You laid face down on the carpet, shirt pulled and the moment lost on the whims of 9-12-year-olds.

You got up and dusted yourself off as the kids ran off back to the table where the parents were lighting candles. You turned to Glimmer, who was doubled over... laughing…?

She was laughing so hard no sound was coming out, and tears were pooled in the corners of her eyes. You couldn't help laughing too, seeing her amusement. "A… Are y-y… ou o-okay…?" she wheezed, holding her stomach.

You grinned, handing her a napkin to wipe her tears of mirth. "Dignity's in tattered scraps at the moments, but I'll live," you replied, shrugging it off and taking Glimmer's hand as you helped her get up from the table. 

Both of you headed for the table, where the kids were waiting to sing the birthday song. Frosta was sitting in a cute little throne, wearing a cape, crown and holding a fake diamond-studded scepter. Glimmer was still chuckling quietly. "Oh Firsts, I wish I would've got that on film. I haven't laughed that hard since Bow tripped up the curb when we were going to the park one day." She sighed, giving you a happy smile. "Sorry our moment was ruined though."

"Not your fault, princess." You shook your head, tucking a hand in your pocket. "Besides, I was gonna invite you to another party next Saturday. Starts at ten, goes until three."

Glimmer groaned then. "Damnnnnn! I want to go but I'd be out past curfew if we stayed the whole time."

You grinned, pulling her hand to stop her. You glanced around conspiratorially, then put a hand up to your face to cover it from any potential unintended listeners. "You ever snuck out before?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear i'm going somewhere with all this weird timeline shit, it'll make sense the deeper we get into the story lmao


End file.
